1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic equipment equipped with a connector which is electrically connected to a device to be connected.
2. Description of Related Art
An electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) of an electrical motor-driven type power steering device mounted in a vehicle as disclosed in JP-A-2000-203437 and JP-A-2003-267233 (patent documents 1 and 2) is known as electronic equipment equipped with a connector. This electronic control unit is connected to an electrical motor by a screw or the like, and they are electrically connected to each other through a connector. The electronic control unit controls the driving of the electrical motor so that steering assisting torque corresponding to a steering operation is produced in the steering shaft.
In the patent document 1, an electrically conductive plate is subjected to insert molding using insulating resin to integrally form a housing and a connector, and the housing, a control board and a metal board are overlapped with one another and electrically connected to one another by soldering. The hosing and the respective boards are accommodated in a case, and the connector is projected from the case. In the patent document 2, a connector is fixed onto a case by a screw, and the terminal of the connector projecting into the case is electrically connected to the control board by soldering. A large current board is formed by subjecting an electrically conductive member to insert molding using insulating resin. The large current board, the control board and the metal board are overlapped with one another, electrically connected to one another by soldering and accommodated in the case.
In the related art structure as shown in the patent document 1, the housing accommodated in the case and the connector exposed from the case are integral with each other. Therefore, when external force is applied to the connector because a partner connector is attached/detached to/from the connector or a foreign matter impinges against the connector, the external force is directly transferred from the connector to the housing, and stress is applied to the soldering-connection portions of the housing, the control board and the metal board, and thus there is a risk that the soldering is broken and the connection reliability is lowered. Furthermore, in the related art structure as shown in the patent document 2, the connector is fixed onto the case by the screw, and the terminal of the connector is connected to the control board in the case by soldering. Therefore, when external force is applied to the connector because of a dimensional error among respective parts, an assembly error or the like, stress is applied to the soldering-connection portions of the terminal of the connector and the control board and resides, and also stress is applied to the soldering-connection portions of the control board, the large current board and the metal board and resides. Therefore, there is a risk that the soldering is broken with time lapse and the connection reliability is lowered. Furthermore, in the related art structures shown in the patent documents 1, 2, when external is applied to the connector due to the difference in thermal shrinkage characteristic among materials of respective parts, stress is applied to the soldering-connection portions of the housing, the board and the connector, and thus there is a risk that the soldering is broken and thus the connection reliability is lowered.